How long does it take for intrahepatic bile duct stones to form?

Written by Zhang Tao
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Intrahepatic bile duct stones are a relatively common biliary system disease, related to patients' poor lifestyle and dietary habits. The formation time of intrahepatic bile duct stones varies; some people may form stones within a few months, while others may take several years, or even more than a decade or decades to form. Therefore, it is recommended that patients go to a regular public hospital for examination and maintain a light diet with plenty of vegetables.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Do intrahepatic bile duct stones fear cold?

Patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones can possibly experience chills. This is because patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones often have concurrent cholangitis, which manifests as chills, high fever, prominent upper abdominal pain, and jaundice. In severe cases, it can even lead to acute suppurative cholangitis, septic shock, and death. Therefore, for patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones presenting with significant symptoms, early surgical treatment is advised. Surgery involves opening the bile duct to remove the stones, which can be curative. Post-surgery, it is still necessary to avoid spicy and irritating foods, such as peppers, barbecues, and garlic, and to mainly consume a bland diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits to facilitate recovery. After recovery, patients generally do not experience significant discomfort.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Can MRCP detect intrahepatic bile duct stones?

Patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones can undergo MRCP examination. For patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones, in addition to being noticeable in ultrasound, CT, and MRI examinations, MRCP can also be performed, and it is also a method of treatment. Moreover, whether treatment is needed for patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones mainly depends on the symptoms. For asymptomatic patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones, if the stones are relatively small in size, no special treatment is necessary. Avoiding spicy and irritating foods in the diet to reduce inflammatory stimuli can help manage the condition. However, for patients with larger intrahepatic bile duct stones, acute cholangitis may occur, presenting as significant upper abdominal pain. In such cases, early surgical intervention should be considered for treatment.

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Written by Zhang Tao
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Can people with intrahepatic bile duct stones eat sweet potatoes?

Intrahepatic bile duct stones can cause upper abdominal pain during acute episodes, which is generally closely related to the patient's careless diet. Sweet potatoes are a type of food that may induce gastric acid production. If a patient has intraheptic bile duct stones and consumes sweet potatoes, it may cause stomach discomfort. Therefore, it is recommended that patients generally avoid eating sweet potatoes or not eat them excessively.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Intrahepatic bile duct stones B-ultrasound manifestations

Intrahepatic bile duct stones show typical sonographic changes on ultrasound, appearing as punctate or mass-like strong echoes within the liver, accompanied by acoustic shadows. These strong echoes are distributed along the intrahepatic bile ducts. The bile duct proximal to the stone may exhibit varying degrees of dilation, and the dilated intrahepatic bile duct, along with the accompanying portal vein, forms a parallel tube sign. Around the strong echoes of the stones, a narrow anechoic region can be seen encircling them, and the stones generally do not move with changes in body position. Intrahepatic bile duct stones can also cause thickening of hepatic parenchyma echoes and internal echo heterogeneity.

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Written by Li Hu Chen
Imaging Center
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Ultrasound presentation of intrahepatic bile duct stones

Intrahepatic bile duct stones can generally be detected via ultrasound, as they show up as strong echoes due to their solid nature which reflects sound waves back to the surface. However, the majority of these intrahepatic bile duct stones are asymptomatic. Since they rarely cause dilation of the intrahepatic bile ducts, and as long as the bile ducts do not appear dilated, thickened, or tortuous on the ultrasound, they usually do not have any significant impact. Therefore, most intrahepatic bile duct stones do not require treatment and can be managed through observation.